Trainman&#39;s flash-light.



J. E. BROADHEAD.

TRAINMANS FLASH LIGHT.

APrLlcATloN FILED JAN. la. 1915.

5566. @MM/ ff JAMES BROADHEAD, 0F BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

TRAINMAN S FLASH-LIGHT.

'To all lwhom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, J AMES E. BROADHEAD, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Bay City, in the county of Bay and State of Michigan, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Trainmens Flash-Lights; and I do 'hereby declare the following to be a full, clear` and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an electric flashlight adapted for use particularly by trainmen. s

It is the objectand purpose of this invention to provide a dash-light of this character which will contain two lights operable by means of a single switch and adapted to contain electric batteries as thel source of energy for furnishing thelight which may be utilized to light either of two small electric lamps forming a part of the flashlight.

It is a further object and purpose of the invention to provide the light with various new and useful featuresgof construction and in particular with a novel means for hold-i ing the batteries and for permitting'their renewal.

For an`understanding of the construction by which these ends are attained together -with others not specifically enumerated, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which;

Figure 1 is a vertical section taken-longitudinally of the flash-light on the' line 1-1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the flashlight. Fig. '3 is a vertical section taken through the switch mechanism and showing it in .the position it will .take to Icomplete the circuit through one ofthe lamps. Fig. 4 is a section taken transversely through the Hash-light on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section illustrating a modification in switch construction.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

In the construction of the Bash-light there is provided a cylindrical casing 1 of any suitable insulating material, such as ber or the like which, at its ends, is provided with lenses 2 and 3, detachably' connected'to the casing 1 by means of .screw threaded caps 4 engaging with screw threaded sleeves 5 secured at the ends of the casing. These lenses may be removed Specification. of Lettersatent.

ratemea'nw. 7,1916.

Application led January 1S, 1915.' Serial No. 2,939.

at any time and itis designed that one of them shall be of red glass while the other is of the usual colorless glass permitting it to between'the 'zinc element of one battery and the carbon element of the other. These members l9 and 1 0 are resilient so as to per mit an adjustment of the batteries as to distance between. them. Outside of the casingv 6 and above one of the batteries, which for convenience, will be termed the forward battery, is located va metallic strip q11, at its `rear end being bent and passed through the outer casing 1 and forming a contact 12 while at its front end it is bent down- I ywardly at 13 and connected with the carbon element 8 of the forward battery.

` Above the stripK 11 is located an insulating section lll and between this section and the wall of the casing. 1 a `metal strip 15 is secured which extends forward to the front lens 3 havingcontact vwith the'relector 16 which also is of metal and which is provided with a socket 17 having contact engagement with one end of the filament 18 of the forward light which is located back of the forward lens 3 and in the reflector 16, the other end of said filament being connected with a member 19 having contact with the upwardly extended end 2O of a metall strip 21 which lies' against the` side of the casing 1 opposite the strip 15- and vwhich extends lthe full length of the inner casing- 6. A block 22 of anysuitable 'insulating material Separates the ends 13 and 10 of the strips 11 and 21. The rear end of strip `15 is bent and passed through the upper side of the casmg 1 and turned to form a contact 23 lying in the same plane and closely adjacent but insulated from the contact 12 heretofore described.

It will be noted that strip 15 extends I from the forward end of the casing 1 to a pointadjacent the middle of said casing. In the similar manner a strip 24 of metal is provided and secured to the inner side of thel casing 1 having a contact 25 formed practically identical to the Contact 23' but lying at the. opposite'sideof contact 12, the rear end of strip 24 bearing against the reflector A26 for the rear lamp which has a socket 27 connected with one endvof the filament 28V of the rear lamp, the other end of said filament being attached to a member 29 which contacts in any suitable manner with the vertically extending strip 30 hinged at its lower-end to the .strip 21 so that .it may be moved into asubstantial horizontal position for a purpose hereafter to be described.

The' switch mechanism is located on the upper side of the casing 1, a housingl 31 being attached` to the casing and within which is located a plate 32 slotted to receive the movable switch member 33 corrugated on its upper side for convenience in use and extending through a slot 34 in fthe housingl 31.5 Plate 32 is normally held in upper position lby meansj` of the coil springs 35 while the movable switch member 33 has projecting from the undersidethereof a pair of contacts 36 which in normal position are adapted to seat in the depressions 37'y formed` of metal and'connected withthe contact 12.

l `the contacts 36 bear against contacts 23 and 12, thus, completing the current. The current will pas's from thev forward carbon 8 to parts.13, 14 and 12, through the switch members 36 to contact 23, thence through the strip 15, reflector 16 and socket 17 to the filament 18, making it incandescent, afterward` following through member 19 and parts `20, 21 and 30 to the zinc element 7 of the=rear battery, thence through its carbon lamp 8 and members 9 and 10 to the front battery. rl`he forward light will be lighted and will remain lighted as' long as switch member 33 is held in such'position. Uppn release of the. switch member the plate 32zwil1 carry it upwardly but it`will not be returned toits central position until carried back manually.i 'lo light the rear light the same process is carried out except the switch member is moved in theopposite direction, the current in such case passing from the forward carbon 8 through parts 13,11'and 12 and thecontacts 36 to'strip 24, redector 26 and socket 27 to the lament of the rear f the current returning through, the members 29 and 30 to the zinc element 7 .of

the rear battery as be readily understood. f

A.' modied'form ofswitchconstruction is casing, a second casin inceste illustrated in Fig. 5 consisting of a housing 38 through which extends a switch member 39 provided on its underside with spring contacts 36,l the switchinember extending through a slot 40 in the housing 38 permitting its slidable movement so 'that it may complete the circuit through the strips 11 and 15` or 11 and 24, as desired. rlFhis is an alternative form of the switch but the preferred type is shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

When the batteries become exhausted it is easy to renew them, the rear cap 4 being unscrewed, thereby releasing the lens 2 upon whichthe lamp and the rear reHector 26 may be readily removed. The hinge member 30 may then be turned so as to lie substantially in alinement with the strip 21 and the batteries removed from their casing 6, new ones being put in their place with the resilient members 9 and 1() positioned between their zinc and carbon` poles. With the replacement of the rear lamp, reect'or and lenses, the hinge member 30 is forced against the zinc element 7 of the `rear battery and all of the parts are held together against accidental dis lacement.

v It will ev apparent that in this construction ll have provided a Hash-light operable by a single'switch which may be lighted at either end and one which will be of especial use to trainmen in the matter of signaling,

one lens being adapted to pass whitelight,l

and the other a red light. `The wswitch mechanism is of very simple character and serves the dual purpose of lighting either light at will. The hinged connection of the member 30 renders the batteries easily accessible for their changing and renewal. The construction is substantially moisture proof which is a very necessary feature in devices of this character. Changes in detail may out departing from the spirito-.E the invention. 'lhe appended claims define the invention and all ,modications in structure falling within their .scope are to be consideredas comprehencledfby the invention.v l claim f 1. A Hash-light comprising a cylindrical casing open at both ends, a lens and light i be resorted to withdetachably positioned at each'end of 'the located within the first casing and containing electric batteries, a switch located on the .outside of the outer casing including a` member movable longitudinally of the casing, connections between the lights, batteries and switch for lighting either light by operation of the switch in.

opposite directions, and means for retaining the batteries in position within the inner casing operated by theconnection of one of the lamps to the casing, substantially as described.

2. vlin a Hash-light, a cylindrical outer cas- A ing having open ends, an er cylindrical casing lying lengthwise inside the outer casing, a strip having an upturned end secured to the inner side of the outer casing, a second upturned end hinged to the opposite end of the strip and means for detachably engaging a light against each of said upturned ends and for detachably securing a lens at each end of the outer-casing, slinbstantially as described.

3. Means for holding batteries and connecting them in series in an electric flashlight comprising a strip having an upturned integral end and a similar end hinged to the opposite end of the strip, a cylindrical casing lying between the said upturned ends, batteries positionedend to end within said casing and yielding contact connections between the opposed poles of the batteries.

, 4. In an electric flashlight, an outer cylindrical casing open at both ends, a lens positioned at each end of the casing, a cap detachably securing each lens 1n place, a

reflector having an electric light located t back of each lens and bearing thereagainst, a metal strip connectedto an inner side of the casing having an integral Aupturned end against which one. light contacts, an insulating block positioned adjacent said end, a member hinged to the'other end of said strip and lying vertically against which the other light contacts, electrical connections between the lights and reflectors, an inner casing positioned between the insulating block and the hinged member, batteries connected in series within said casing, a pole of one of said batteries having contact with the hinged member, connections leading from the relectors, a connection leading from the op-v posed pole of the other battery and switch mechanism for completing a current through a gap between said last named connection and either of the connections lfrom the reflectors.

5. In a flash-light, a cylindrical casing having a lens secured at each end, an elec' tric light and reflector back of each lens, an? electric battery within the casing, electrical connections between the lights and their respective reflectors, connections between the lights and one poleof the electric battery, electrical conductors connecting with eachf; of the reflectors and` leadingv therefrom to az position adjacent the center of the casing, a connection leading from the opposite pole of the battery to a point adjacent the said.

conductors but separated therefrom andr v switch mechanism for bridging the gap bel tween said last conductor and either of the last named conductors, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a tubular casing, v

of an electric light at each end of said casing, a battery having one of its poles having a contact at each end located within the'.x casing, the contacts at the respective ends having connection'each with a contact of one of lsaid lights, andan open-circuit switch in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES E. BROADHEAD. 

